Cisco, a leading internet equipment manufacturer, has taken a
3.9% share in Liberate which will give both companies the
opportunity to offer networking products that incorporate internet
features in a range of media devices.
The investment makes Cisco the third largest investor in
Liberate after Oracle Corp. and America Online Inc. which own about
34% and 8% respectively. Before the transaction was made, Cisco and
Liberate had already joined forces to offer their combined services
to Cable & Wireless Plc and Telewest Communications Plc.
Commenting on the move, Liberate’s senior vice president of
corporate development, David Limp, said:
“when we worked together, we found that
those customers were able to deploy [the services] more quickly
with more interactive features…What Cisco’s investment does is
enable us to roll out such features on a worldwide basis at a
faster pace”.
